UPDATE: Sheriff IDs man who died in Shingletown shooting

Authorities are treating the New Year's Day fatal shooting of a Shingletown man by his neighbor as a "classic self-defense case."

Shasta County Detective Logan Stonehouse on Wednesday said a chain of events led Lynn Hamilton, 56, to fire his handgun at Lee Roy Thibault, 42.

"There's been some back and forth in the last few days," Stonehouse said.

Thibault had been living in the area for a few months, Stonehouse said.

Earlier on Tuesday, he had threatened to cut off Hamilton's head, the detective said.

Shasta County Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers were called about 8 p.m. to 33289 Plateau Pines on a report of an assault between the two men.

While deputies were on their way, emergency dispatchers added new information that shots had been fired, Stonehouse said. Officers and deputies found Hamilton at his home bleeding from both of his hands and Thibault dead across the street in the snow, Stonehouse said.

Sheriff's investigators say the man had been making threats to kill Hamilton and, while running a chainsaw, threatened to cut off Hamilton's head.

The verbal threats escalated when the man walked over the Hamilton's driveway with a baseball bat and again threatened to kill him, sheriff's office said. Thibault began beating Hamilton with the bat, causing major injuries to his hands, sheriff's office said.

Fearing for his life, Hamilton pulled a handgun out of his pocket and shot Thibault, the sheriff's office said.

The man died of wounds at the scene.

The sheriff's office said Hamilton was not arrested. He was questioned and released by sheriff's deputies. An investigation is ongoing and when completed will be reviewed by the Shasta County District Attorney's office. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, investigators said.

Stonehouse said the sheriff's office has interviewed witnesses, but would not elaborate on who they were or what they saw.